Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams has been fined $15,000 for publicly criticizing the officiating in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans.

New Orleans started its season 3-16. Now, the pesky Pelicans are proving to be a handful for the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference playoffs.

Chris Paul scored 19 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter and the Phoenix Suns overcame Devin Booker’s absence to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 114-111 on Friday night in Game 3 of the first-round series.

Brandon Ingram’s rolling, Devin Booker’s hurting and the New Orleans Pelicans made it clear that this first-round playoff series will be a fight for the top-seeded Phoenix Suns.

The top-seeded Suns needed Chris Paul's big finish despite dominating most of the game. The Pelicans shook off a slow start, cutting a 23-point deficit to 79-71 by the end of the third.

The National Basketball Coaches Association named the Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams “Coach of the Year' for the second-straight year.

Suns fans and Phoenix area businesses are gearing up as the team is making another go at becoming the NBA Champs. The Suns ended this season with a record-breaking number of wins.

At 64-18, Phoenix finished with the best mark in franchise history and had eight more victories than other team in the NBA. The brilliant regular season comes just four years after finishing 19-63.

The Clippers beat up the Suns for three quarters. But Phoenix’s reserves put together a 48-point fourth quarter and then ran out of time.

The Phoenix Suns are the best team in the NBA this season and, according to the standings, it isn’t particularly close.

Mikal Bridges led Phoenix with 18 points. The Thunder outrebounded Phoenix 54-32 and hit 17 3-pointers.

Devin Booker’s two free throws with 34.2 seconds left put Phoenix ahead, Draymond Green traveled to turn it over before Chris Paul made a short jumper, and the NBA-best Suns beat the Warriors 107-103 on Wednesday night in a back-and-forth battle between Western Conference rivals.

The Suns have wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and best record in the league. Phoenix is 61-14, a victory shy of tying the franchise season victory record.

The Suns lead the NBA with a 60-14 record and are trying to make the NBA Finals for a second straight season after losing to Milwaukee last year.

Phoenix needs one win — or a Memphis loss — to wrap up home-court advantage for the entire playoffs. The Suns have a nine-game lead with nine games left. They have won six straight, 18 of 22 and are 59-14 overall.

At a franchise-best 57-14 through 71 games, the Suns moved nine games ahead of second-place Memphis with 11 games left.